CHINA
HISTORICAL
533
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The year 1900 will ever be memorable in the history of China for the "Boxer' rising, the last and a most determined attempt to break away from foreign influence and to revert to the exclusiveness of twenty centuries. Details of this great social and political upheaval may be found in preceding volumes of this Directory. The object of the rising, which was confined to the North, was the extermination of foreign native Christians and people known to be associated with foreigners. The Legation Quarter at Peking was besieged for two months by the Boxer rabble and the Imperial troops, the occupants being reduced to the verge of starvation. Troops were poured into China by all the European Powers, America and Japan, and it was not before 20,000 foreign troops had fought their way to the capital that the siege was raised. Over 250 Europeans were murdered during the rising, and it was estimated that over 10,000 natives perished, most of them being Christians or the kinsmen of Christians.
In November, 1908, occurred the death of the Emperor Kwang Hsu, followed a day later by the death of the Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. This news was unexpected, and there was consequently much suspicion for a time regarding the cause of the dual demise. The public were soon satisfied, however, that the deaths were due to perfectly natural causes. Dying childless, the late Emperor Kwang Hsu, acting in obedience to "the benign mandate" of the Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi, designated as he lay dying a son of Prince Ch'un, his brother, as his successor to the Throne. At the time of his accession the new sovereign was barely three years of age, and Prince Ch'un was ap- pointed to act as Regent during the Sovereign's minority. The events of the past ten years had convinced Tzu Hsi, who had been the virtual ruler since 1895, that the salvation of the country lay in a complete reformation of the Government. Accordingly, from being a reactionary of the worst type, she changed to an ardent advocate of reform. She promised the nation constitutional government and took steps to initiate the change. In her valedictory address she directed that the occupant of the Throne should fulfil the promises she had made, and the opening of the new reign was marked by a succession of Reform Edicts giving promise of the fulfilment, at last, of the long-cherished hopes for the country's regeneration. Scarcely two years had passed, however, before the country was swept by a revolution vastly different in its purpose from the abortive Boxer rising just eleven years previously. It developed as if by magic although, for many years, there had been reform propaganda in China. In 1895 the Empress Dowager, alarmed by the Emperor Kwang-Hsu's reform proclivities, usurped the Throne, made the Emperor virtually a prisoner in his palace, had many of the leading reformers executed, and put a high price on the heads of all who had escaped out of the country. But notwithstanding the most rigorous measures which were enforced to suppress the movement, the propaganda was secretly and successfully continued. If hitherto there had been any hesitancy on the part of the Reformers to adopt the abolition of the Manchu monarchy as a plank in their platform, it was now overcome, and a revolutionary campaign was organised in earnest. An upheaval was expected at the time of the infant Emperor's accession to the Throne, and extensive military preparations were made to cope with it. Nothing happened, however. The organisers of the Reformation were not quite ready to attempt the coup de main they contemplated, and it is a fact that when at length the Revolution began, in October, 1911, it broke out prematurely. It started at Wuchang instead of at Canton, which had been regarded as the most likely storm centre; earlier in the year indications of grave discontent had appeared in Canton; the Tartar-General was shot dead in the streets of the city in April, and in the same month a body of reformers, assisted by discontented soldiery attacked the Viceroy's yamen. His Excellency, however, escaped by a back way, and the insurrection was quelled, largely through the instrumentality of Admiral Li, who consequently got into bad odour among the revolutionaries, with the result that in August an attempt was made on his life. A bomb was thrown at him; three persons were killed and the Admiral was severely wounded. October 24th the new Tartar-General was blown to pieces as he landed at Canton to take up his new command. Earlier in the month there had been a dynamite explosion in the Russian Concession at Hankow, and investigation revealed the existence of an alarming revolutionary plot, which the Viceroy took prompt measures to frustrate. This was the signal for the rising. Some of the troops mutinied, and the Viceroy, as well as the General in command, fled for their lives from Wu- chang. General Li Yuan Hung, who had been second in command of the Imperial aroops, with great reluctance and under threat of instant death if he persisted in
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